Eddy on the Mend

RYAN Edwards made his Argyle comeback in a Central League game on Tuesday, playing 75 minutes for the reserve side, which beat Forest Green Rovers 2-1.

Eddy has not featured since the 3-2 home defeat to Burton Albion in October, after succumbing to a chest infection, but his reappearance in midweek is a welcome sign the Argyle injury worries are starting to fade.

“He did okay, he came through it well,” said Argyle boss Derek Adams. “He has been out for a number of weeks now, so he is one who needed some game-time and he was fine.”

While Derek was delighted to see Eddy on the pitch once again, he is not the only one nearing a return to fitness. Defenders Scott Wootton and Captain Gary Sawyer, who have been long-term absentees this season, are set to re-join first-team training in the not too distant future, although Conor Grant remains ruled out for the next few weeks.

“There is [progress] being made,” said Derek. “He (Scott Wootton) is coming on slowly. Hopefully, he will be in full time training by the end of next week.

“He (Gary Sawyer) is doing really well and is going to join training with us. We will see how he feels and hopefully get a full week of training next week as well. He had obviously broken his foot but the healing process is over now, it’s just about how he feels.

“He (Conor Grant) has got a grade two calf strain, so he is going to be out for two to three weeks from now.”

Players who have been in the treatment room may not have the luxury of a gradual return to first-team duty but, as Joe Riley proved against Oxford on the weekend, hard work in training can be the perfect preparation.

Riley will be part of a squad that takes on Bradford City in Sky Bet League One at Home Park on Saturday and the reduced injury list can only help the Pilgrims over the busy Christmas period.

“Joe Riley came back and he played straight away,” said Derek. “All we are trying to do now is speed up the recovery time by working them hard in training. If there is a game, we’ll play them in a game but, if there’s not, they could come straight into the squad.

“We have had a difficult time with injuries, the length of time they have been out for and the seriousness of the problems, so we have got to be happy that we are seeing progress.

"We have got 24 in the squad, it only takes a few injuries for that to dwindle quite quickly.”